


What the Cat Dragged In

by Inzannatea (Zanna23)



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Ms. Fisher's MODern Murder Mysteries
Genre: Excited for the new show, Gen, Pre-fandom Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-17 22:04:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15471078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zanna23/pseuds/Inzannatea
Summary: Smart, plucky Peregrine Fisher has come to Melbourne to figure out what this nonsense about an inheritance is all about. Before she can get that sorted, she finds herself involved in a delicate international matter thanks to a kleptomaniacal Siamese cat.





	What the Cat Dragged In

**Author's Note:**

> It's a bit daunting writing fanfic for a show that doesn't exist yet. Everything here is likely going to be blown away by canon-fire once the episodes of Ms. Fisher's MODern Murder Mysteries start production. 
> 
> It doesn't matter though. I trust Every Cloud to make it magnificent. I love the idea of the Fisherverse in a time when everything is on the cusp of change. 1964 still had a lot of the 50s societal expectations being enforced, but was the dawn of the radical movements which would change the world. 
> 
> I'd be interested in the Fisherverse, even if the stories were about Phryne's niece's neighbour's cat... and in fact, this one is.

“No, it’s fab. A little old fashioned, maybe... But I think you’ll love it. There’s plenty of room for your easels and the light is good… Well, hullo friend.”

“Company?” the voice on the other end of the line sounded amused.

“The neighbour’s cat has taken a liking to the kitchen window. Just a minute, puss.”

“The cat has taken a liking to your treats, I’d wager, Pere.”

“Why assume I’ve given the poor creature treats?”

“Because I know you very well, Peregrine Fisher, and you never could resist a friend in need.”

“It looks as if my little friend already has a tr… Oh… oh my.”  Peregrine’s tone turned on a dime. “Mar, I have to go.”

“Oh… okay. I’ll see you Friday.” Marlene stammered in confusion. She hadn’t heard her once and future roommate sound quite so serious before.

Peregrine Fisher and Marlene Maxwell had been friends since the beginning of time. Sisters more than friends. Peregrine was forever at Marlene’s house. Her own mother had to work and Marlene’s mother barely noticed the extra mouth to feed. The only thing that set Peregrine apart from the rest of the kids was the light color of her skin and her sleek hair.

“Here, kitty… What have you got there, puss?” Peregrine moved tentatively towards the smaller than average Siamese cat. There was something in the cat’s mouth. She kept dropping and licking the thing, picking it up and trying to chew it. A young rat, perhaps? No. No, this was something else. With dawning horror she realized this was something else entirely.

She picked up the telephone and dialed Triple-0.

"You have dialed emergency Triple Zero. Police, Fire, Ambulance?” the calm voice asked from the other end of the line.

“Police.”

“What is the nature of the emergency?”

Peregrine struggled to explain the situation.

“Ma’am? What is the nature of the emergency?”

“I… uh…”

The emergency operator sighed. “Cat got your tongue, ma’am?”

“No. But she has got someone else’s.”

As soon as she got off the telephone, she closed the kitchen window so the cat wouldn’t escape with her prize.

This really wasn’t what she needed right now.

Maybe she should go ‘round to the neighbour’s herself and…

No. She was doing it again. The thing her mother was always complaining about. “Nosy Nelly” her mother called her. She tried to counter with “Perceptive Peri” but Mum was having none of it.

No. She’d just wait for the police to come to deal with this…  It was strange, though.

No. She was here for another reason. She didn’t have time to get involved in this sort of thing.

She read the letter again.

 

> Dear Miss Peregrine Fisher:
> 
> Please contact our offices at 210 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 regarding the matter of your inheritance.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Phillip Pascoe
> 
> Pascoe, Drake, and Quinn, Attys

Peregrine had planned to move to Melbourne with Marlene. Hobart wasn’t big enough to contain their ideas. The mysterious letter convinced her to come early while Marlene tied up loose ends at home.

The cat gave up trying to eat the thing and wandered over to Peregrine for head scratches.  Peregrine tried not to look at the forgotten ‘treat.’ “Best wait for the police.”

Mum hadn’t wanted her to go, of course. Melbourne had broken her heart and she couldn’t go back after the war. The war that had taken Peregrine’s Dad. Mum never remarried. Dad died as poor as they’d ever been… and a lifetime ago.

“What inheritance?” was the question that set her on her current path. Mum didn’t have a clue. Dad never had money and never met his own father. He’d been raised the same way Peregrine had… by a struggling single mother. In some ways, it made her feel connected to the father she barely remembered.

Never one to turn down money, and ever one to love a mystery, Peregrine decided she’d go to this attorney to figure out what they were playing at.

The cat purred in her lap, reminding her she had to deal with this first.

There were four sharp raps on the door.

 

* * *

 

“Is it your cat, Miss--?” The uniformed woman had arrived a few minutes earlier and was looking at the little Siamese as she wrote.

“Fisher. No. It isn’t. I think she belongs to the neighbours? I just moved in. She came to my window and I gave her a little tuna because she’s so tiny. But she doesn’t stay here.”

“In my experience, you feed them, you’re theirs,” the tall blonde woman who had introduced herself as Sergeant Madge Charles smiled at her. She reached to scratch the cat behind the ears, smoothly transitioning to reading the tag on the collar. “Antigone. Odd. Usually these have an address as well as the animal’s name.”  She looked over at what the cat had dragged in, “Do you… recognize the… well… the tongue?”

Peregrine shook her head, “I doubt that I would recognize a tongue out of context, but as I said… just moved in.”

Sgt. Charles folded her notebook away, “Thank you for calling us, Miss Fisher.  Say, are you any relation to Phryne Fisher?”

“I… I don’t know. The name isn’t familiar. Fisher is a pretty common name.”

“Yes. Yes it is,” considered Sgt. Charles, “But Phryne isn’t… and frankly, neither is Peregrine. And you look a bit like her.”

“Fisher is my Dad’s family name. I haven’t ever met anyone in that family... Except my Gran… and she wasn’t a Fisher either.  He died when I was a little girl… it’s just me and Mum now.”

“Ah, well. No worries,” smiled the sergeant.

“Please let me know what you discover! I’m a bit alarmed to think there may be a tongue snatching madman out there.”

Sgt. Charles smiled what Peregrine could only describe as a condescending smile, “Don’t be worrying about that, Miss. This is Heidelberg. Artists are always doing something mad like cutting off bits to mail to the lovers who’ve jilted them in hopes of becoming the next Van Gogh. Not even certain this one is human.”

Peregrine pressed her lips together, “And if it is? Are you at least going to try to talk to the neighbours?”

“Of course, Miss… I do know how to do my job. I’ll speak with them…  if for no other reason than to return the cat,” the sergeant smiled at her. “I’ll let you know if we need anything else, and…” she proffered a card, “Feel free to reach out if you have any other strange encounters. Welcome to Melbourne, Miss Fisher.”

Antigone the cat, the mysterious disembodied tongue, and Sgt. Charles all left together.  The sergeant promised to let Peregrine know if the tongue was indeed human. Sgt. Charles shared that the Senior Detective Inspector would probably get involved if it were, but Peregrine felt the other woman was too flippant about the matter.

She jumped up, grabbing her hat and purse and sashayed out the door.

It was high time she met the neighbours.


End file.
